Members Only

We are not copy cats or trend followers. The well beaten path is smooth, populated and boring. In the 80’s, I was in High School and the biggest trend of the day was the members only jacket. If you’re unfamiliar with the style, all you have to do is see the photo above. How could anyone resist such a thing? I mean, it had a slick finish, fitted sleeves, flaps on the shoulders…like a general and if you wanted to zip it all the way up, it had a closure on the collar. This jacket became the must have of a decade. The problems for me were twofold. First was the price because my family was not blessed with disposable income and secondly, if I’m told to like or buy something, I usually make sure not to. This product was perfectly named as well because people bought it partly for the feeling of belonging to an exclusive club. My rebel nature made me want anything but the standard issue for pop culture.

This mentality has followed me throughout my life. I’m often accused of being against anything good or moral but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Just because I fail to follow the guidelines of accepted society, it doesn’t mean that I’m evil or confused. Rebellion is an art form and is not for everyone. Let’s take for example Tim Tebow. He played for a college football team that I don’t pull for, in a conference and in a division in which I am a fan of a rival team and played in the NFL for teams that I don’t like. I am fully aware that he is a person of faith and if you appreciate that above all else, I have no problem with you. The issue and rub comes when I’m approached by well meaning people who say that I have to be a Tebow fan simply because he is a moral person or a role model. I’m also not inclined to expect athletes to be role models for my children because that’s my job. Another popular example would be Duck Dynasty. I constantly have people just fall apart when I tell them I’ve never watched an episode. Again, I don’t wear camo, I’m not a hunter and I really don’t care for television trying to glorify Southern Culture in terms that are cliche at best. It just so happens that this also sets up as a me vs. faith scenario but what do I have in common with this show and the more that I’m told that I must like it, the more I determine to take no part in it. I also could care less about Howard Stern. To my knowledge, Stern has never been accused of being a moral leader or person of faith but this earns me zero brownie points with those who would accuse me of being faithless in my defiance. Just to be clear, if you’re a Tebow or Duck Dynasty fan, we can still be friends and I have no issue with you. It simply means that we have different taste.

This brings me to the reason that I started Shark Attack Golf. Golf can be the equivalent of the Member’s Only jacket. It’s expensive to participate, takes lots of time to learn and there’s no shortage of peer pressure to act and dress certain ways. It’s really easy to find yourself in way over your head and above your pay grade when dealing with Golf Culture. I’ve tried to “fit in” with the golden golf standards but it became cumbersome and fake. Judging a player based upon the length of their hair, number of tattoos or their lack of ability to pay membership dues or have “proper” golf attire is not just snooty…it’s wrong. We established a mantra of having fun first. This means establishing our own rules based much less on money or betting. It’s refreshing to play a game for fun and bragging rights as opposed to having a house payment riding on your score. The world of Long Drive has also been a natural fit for us. Not because we have won money doing it but because the people are so genuine. Most independent events do not impose a dress code and usually, being loud and cranking the music is encouraged. Shark Attack Golf is about being inclusive and encouraging people to enjoy the game. We have never been about politics or religion because those things are personal and divisive. There’s a big welcome sign in front of our page for anyone who wants to be a part and for all who understand what we do. Remaining independent has allowed us to be objective and since no one pays our bills, that’s the way it will remain.